Fasteners of the foregoing type comprise a first, female member having a continuous groove formed longitudinally therealong, and a second male member having a continuous, complementary longitudinally shouldered profile which is pressed into the groove to be latched therein. Depending upon the particular configuration of the groove and shoulder, the members may be releasably or non-releasably fastened together.
Releasable fasteners of the above type are exemplified in the following patents
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,109 Herrington " 4,578,813 Ausnit I " 4,706,297 Ausnit II " 4,846,585 Boeckmann et al ______________________________________
Non-releasable fasteners of the above type are exemplified in the following patents
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,710 Nocek et al " 4,792,983 Allegne et al ______________________________________
In all of the foregoing patents, both the extruded male and female members have a continuous, uniform cross-section therealong. While suited for many purposes, both the releasable and non-releasable fasteners of the above type will permit the relative longitudinal movement of the two fasteners members.
Additionally, while a strong latching force may be generated between the members, they may nevertheless be peeled apart due to the tendency of the walls forming the groove of the female member to splay transversely when subject to peeling forces.
Fasteners of the mating profile type are commonly applied to relationally opposed surfaces, by which term is meant surfaces wherein the attached closure members will find themselves contiguously opposed in the normal course of events, prior to their being fastened together. This situation will commonly arise when the closure elements are applied at the mouth of a plastic bag for example. Such bags are commonly stored together in large quantities pending their use, and it is not desirable that the fasteners close together adventitiously. In the above referred to Nocek et al patent, various means are suggested for hindering the joining of contiguous mating closure members. In the Ausnit II patent, the problem is largely overcome by staggering the closure members. A similar expedient is noted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,708, Holcomb et al, although in this instance the closure members are not of the mating profile type, being joinable by adhesive rather than by mechanical means. In both Ausnit II and Holcomb et al closure of the members can only be effected by deforming the substrate to which at least one of the members is attached.